


I'll travel through time to save you

by bearer_of_light



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Lexa is time traveler and her job is to kill Clarke, Time Travel, Turns out that's a problem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 08:08:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11847456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearer_of_light/pseuds/bearer_of_light
Summary: Lexa has to kill Clarke but Clarke is hard to kill.





	I'll travel through time to save you

**Author's Note:**

> This one got way bigger than I planned.  
> Sorry for any and all mistakes. Enjoy!

Lexa never had a reason to question her orders. She’s always been a good soldier for Agency and her country. Future held great things and past had to be corrected. She had no reason for doubt. Her targets were crooks, thieves, small and big fishes in the sea of crime that possessed Earth in the past. Here info was never wrong and not once had they been anything other than roaches slowly killing everything around them and taking humanity to the deepest pits of despair.

Usually she’d spend couple of days checking the information she was give, something that was part of the protocol. Once she got to the place and time of interest, her job was to find her target. She had the name and address and in most cases that was enough. Sometimes they weren’t exactly living in their homes so it took some time for her to find them but never more than a day.

After finding her target she’d spend some time following them, looking for patterns and signs, something to confirm the information she was given about them. Drug dealers, sex offenders, murderers, sleazy people filling up their bank accounts over the back of poor and underdeveloped.

Lexa would then execute her orders and make a future a little bit better, brighter and more bearable to live in.

That’s what her job was, that’s what the Agency was doing everyday. They made their present better by going to the past or, on rare occasions, to the future. As a result she lived in a society where crime did not exist, there were no 5%, there was no excessive accumulation of wealth by a few privileged, education and health care were free and everyone had them. People were content and Lexa was happy knowing she had a part in all of that.

Lexa never had a reason to question the orders given to her. Never before.

Her new job was 30 years in the past. Her target was a 24 year old girl living alone in one bedroom apartment in Polis. Clarke Griffin. She worked at a local coffee shop and was an aspiring artist. Her mother was a doctor and her father died when she was young. Under her name was written IMMINENT THREAT; ELIMINATE, in big red letters. It was common for Lexa to see those words, most of her targets had to be eliminated, only a handful of them she had to put somewhere no one could ever find them.

First thing she did every time she came to her destination was finding a hotel room to sleep in since the job usually took 3 to 4 days. She only took the essentials with her, some money and an ID that Agency provided and some tools she would be needing.

Lexa spent a week following Clarke Griffin like a shadow. She knew every step the girl took and she couldn’t find one bad thing about her. She got up every day at 6, she started her morning shift at the coffee shop at 7 and worked till 4 after which she’d go straight back to her apartment, meet with friends for drinks and go home or go volunteer at her mother’s hospital and then back home. Everyone seemed to like her, she treated everyone with respect and kindness, at least as far as Lexa could tell, and there was nothing in her being that screamed imminent threat or the need for her to be eliminated.

Lexa knew her superiors were getting nervous because it was not like Lexa to spend that much time on a mission. It was generally not accepted to spend more than a week on the job. Rules and protocols. She heard stories of agents never coming back, choosing to live their lives away, liking could be more than the solid and good thing they had back home.

But Lexa always followed her gut and her gut was telling her something was wrong about this particular mission. Everything felt so off that she decided to interfere with her target’s life, to come closer, to move away from shadows into the daylight.

On her sixth day of following Clarke Griffin, Lexa walked into her workplace. She chose early hours, 8 am, she knew the place would not be empty but full enough for her to be able to sink in, not jump out from the crowd as much. By doing so she broke more than one rule but her job was not about blindly following orders, it was about making the planet a better place to be on and she had to be sure it would be better off without Clarke Griffin.

“Good morning. What can I get you?”, Lexa was greeted with a warm smile from the blonde girl behind the counter. She stared back blankly. It was one to look at Clarke Griffin’s profile and follow her from far away but it was a whole other thing to stand in front of her and have her smiling.

Lexa quickly came back to her senses.

“Double espresso.”

“Here or to go?”, Clarke asked still smiling brightly.

“Here.”

“Coming right up.” Clarke turned away and left Lexa to do what she did best. Observe. She watched how effortlessly Clarke moved around, it was as she was floating from one place to another, humming some tune Lexa did not recognize. She was always a fan of old music, the one with words, the one people danced to. The music they had back home was all order and little harmony. Clarke Griffin looked like an ordinary girl with seemingly no problems, no imminent threats, no need to be eliminated. “Here you go.” Clarke brought her back to the present with a tray in her hands with a cup of steaming coffee and 2 cookies next to it. “Cookies are on the house. For new customer, maybe they lure you back.”

“Thank you.”, Lexa smiled back unconsciously and walked to the one free table back in the corner of the room. From there she could see Clarke and everyone she interacted with without being suspicious. She put the tray with coffee and cookies on the table and sat down.

She took a sip of the coffee not expecting to like it. Coffee back home was strong, crisp, nothing sweet about it, solid like everything else. Lexa never liked any other coffee she tried in any other time she went to. But this one was different. It filled up all her senses, strong, rich and chocolaty. Lexa closed her eyes and let her guard down for just a few seconds. It took her back to her childhood home, to Christmas day, to her family around dinner table, to bonfires with friends, to happiness with Costia. She opened her eyes and took a bite of the cookie to wash away the bitter taste of memories.

She lifted her head and looked around the room. There were fewer people in than there were for the last couple of days. There were 4 people inside, 5 including Lexa, 3 of them were there every day of the past week and the older woman sitting by the door was a new face.

Lexa looked to her left where Clarke was sitting behind the counter. It looked like she was drawing something on a piece of paper.

For the next hour no one moved from their place. Everyone was still sitting at their tables, Clarke was still drawing even though she was interrupted twice by people coming in to order their coffee before leaving the same way they came.

Lexa was getting impatient, something wasn’t right about this thing and she broke rules and disregarded protocols just to find absolutely nothing new about Clarke Griffin. She drank the rest of her coffee and got up to order more.

“Hi, can I get one more?”, she said when she walked to where Clarke was sitting.

“Of course. Double espresso, right?” Clarke said with the same smile she had earlier.

“Yes.” Lexa smiled back. The other girl turned around and started making her coffee. In the process of doing so she forgot, or didn’t, to put away the piece of paper she was drawing on. Lexa looked down, hoping seeing Clarke’s work will give her some insight into who she was, but she was met with her own face. It was like looking in the mirror.

“I have a thing for faces.”, she heard Clarke’s voice before seeing a cup right next to the paper. “I never forget a face and yours is quite memorable.” When Lexa’s eyes remained glued to the paper and her mouth shut Clarke started rushing her words out. “I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I’ll throw it away. I was just bored and you are the only new face I saw in here in a long time and it was better to sketch you than chairs again. I draw a lot of chairs when I’m here I don’t know why. Anyway I’m not making any sense. I’m sorry.”

Lexa shook her head and smiled softly at Clarke.

“It’s alright Clarke. I’m not uncomfortable.”

“How…”, Clarke furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Lexa confused. Lexa knew what she did the moment she did it. That’s why there were rules, that’s why you were not supposed to interact with your targets.

“Your name tag.”, she said before Clarke could finish her sentence.

“Oh, right.”, Clarke said covering with her fingers the plate with her name.

“I’m sorry, I just assumed…”

“No, no, it’s alright, you just surprised me.” Clarke smiled.

“You are very talented.” Lexa said looking back down at the drawing of her face, trying to deflect the conversation back to more calm waters.

“Just a hobby.” Clarke said as she took the sketch in her hand and lifted it next to Lexa’s head. “But it does look an awful lot like you. Just a tiny bit less attractive.”

“Just a tiny bit?” Lexa smirked.

“Like you said I’m very talented.”

“Why it’s just a hobby then?”

“I’m not ready to commit to it fully. I think there are far more important things to be done.”

“Like what?”

“Eliminate poverty and hunger, cure the diseases of the world, get rid of the violence and hatred. Things like that.” Lexa saw in Clarke’s eyes she was being honest, she saw Clarke wanted all the things she had just said. Clarke wanted everything the Agency stood for and yet they gave Lexa a mission. Clarke had to be eliminated because she was a threat to the well established order.  “When I take care of that then I can be a full time artist.”

“And how far have you come on your mission to save the world?”

“One day at a time.” Clarke smiled. “And I’m young, so there are a lot more days in front of me.”

Lexa suddenly realized who they were. To Clarke and anyone watching they were just two young women talking but to Lexa it was a conversation between her and a dead girl. Clarke was a target and if Lexa were to do her job properly, like every time before and after, Clarke was going to die.

“Don’t you think you should do what you can while you can and not leave it for some undefined time in the future that may never come?”

“Why?” Clarke asked leaning on the counter.

“What if… you can’t… Just like there’s a starting point there has to be a known ending.”

“Why?” Clarke said again.

“You need structure… What if something happens?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Death.”

“Cheery.” Clarke grinned. “But okay, I can play along. How will structure help avoid death? If I die tomorrow what difference does it make if I have next ten years planned or not? I’ll be dead either way.”

“Yeah but…”

“Tell me.” Clarke paused biting her lip. “I don’t know your name. What’s your name? Or do I call you stranger with structured death?”

“Lexa. My name is Lexa.”

“Nice name, Lexa. Tell me, Lexa, what is the first thought you have when you wake up?”

The question surprised Lexa. She took a step back and thought about her answer.

“I think about all the things I have to do that day.”

“My first thought is how happy I am to be alive to see the sun shining and hear the birds singing.”

“What if it’s raining?” Lexa asked making Clarke laugh.

“Then I’m happy to be alive to walk in the rain and fall asleep with it beating on my windows.” Clarke smiled widely.

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

“Almost everything.”

“No cookies this time?” Lexa asked picking up her cup of coffee.

“Third time’s a charm.” Clarke winked.

Lexa walked back to her table feeling worse than she did 20 minutes ago. She felt sick in her stomach, something she never felt when she was on a mission. She knew it was a mistake to interact with Clarke Griffin, to make her more than a pretty face with a name. Lexa knew she should have kept her distance. Every moment she spent breathing the same air as Clarke Griffin made it more difficult for her to differentiate between logic and feelings. She drank her coffee and left without saying a word to Clarke.

Agency had no way of contacting her and she had no way of contacting her handler or anyone in the Agency. It was one of the fundamental grounds on which it was built.

Every agent got, from their handler, a file that contained all the information that was needed to complete their mission. It had the minimum information on the target, the maximum Agency could find, an ID, money and the objective of the mission. Protocol then said that they were to be sent to the time period of interest, they’d usually find the safest alley or an abandoned house to send them to. Once there, the agents were meant to find the closest hotel, book a room and then find their target. They then did a bit of research to confirm the information they got and then they carried out their missions.

It was simple and clean. The only thing they had to do was stay away from the target, never get close, and never under any circumstance interact with the target.

Once the job was done, agents had to go back to the Agency, report to their handlers, take a break if the mission was harder than expected and then take another job.

Simple and clean. Just the way Lexa liked it. And just the way Lexa always did it.

Up until Clarke Griffin’s file got into her hands.

Lexa leaned on the building across the street and scrolled through Clarke’s file on her phone. There had to be something Lexa was missing, something that flagged Clarke as imminent threat. There had to be a reason.

Lexa never had a problem with killing people. Her family never learned how to deal with her job, they could never understand how she could take a person’s life so easily. But to her it was never a problem. She had a purpose, a straight line ahead of her, a greater good. She couldn’t right the wrongs of her past but she could influence the life of thousands of people by doing what she did.

Clarke Griffin was a problem.

Part of the reason why Lexa had almost no problem with her job was because her targets were people whose entire existence was devoted to ruining good and hard working people’s lives.

Clarke Griffin was a glitch.

Lexa couldn’t just eliminate her. She needed more time or this mission had to be aborted. She had to go back to the Agency and talk to Anya, her handler. That meant breaking rules but Lexa already broke so many of them, one more wouldn’t mean much.

First she had to erase herself from Clarke’s memory and to do that she had to get Clarke alone and close. Agency provided them with a device, they called it _Blackouter_ , that erases everything a person did or saw in programmable period of time. It was a syringe type object whose tip had to be inserted under the targets skin. That way agents had a way to erase themselves if a random bystander saw them or what they did. It was an easy way to do damage control without having to hurt innocent people.

Lexa waited for Clarke’s shift to end and then followed her home where she waited and hoped Clarke would go outside once the Sun went down so she wouldn’t have to break into her apartment.

Around 8 pm her wishes came true and Clarke was once again outside. She went to the corner store and shortly after she was walking back to her building. While she was looking through her bag for the keys, Lexa sneaked behind her, _Blackouter_ in her hand. Once Clarke opened the door, Lexa grabbed her from behind and put her left hand over Clarke’s mouth.

“I’m sorry Clarke.”, she whispered in her ear before poking the device into Clarke’s hand.

Seconds after Clarke was unconscious in Lexa’s arms. She had less than 10 minutes before Clarke woke up. Lexa took the keys from blonde’s hands and carried her and her things to her apartment. Once there she laid Clarke on the couch and put the bags on the table. She tried not to look around much but she saw photos of Clarke with her friends, Clarke with her mother and father. On every photo Clarke had the same bright smile she carried around everywhere she went.

Lexa let out a long breath and closed the door behind her.

* * *

“You did what?” Anya yelled at Lexa. “Are you insane? What is wrong with you? Do you want to get killed?”

“Listen to me please.”

After she made sure Clarke was fine, after having her memory of the past day erased, Lexa went back to her hotel room and prepared to go back to the Agency. She took out her _Telelocator,_ even though it was meant to be used only after mission termination, and activated it. After a couple of seconds she opened her eyes back on the bed in the teleportation room in agency headquarters and saw Anya standing above her.

“That took longer than expected.” Anya said.

Time moves differently when you bend it and break it. Days and weeks in past and future are just seconds and minutes in present day.

“There’s a problem.” Lexa sat up and explained to Anya what happened. She told her about Clarke Griffin and Clarke’s file, about Clarke’s life, about talking to Clarke, about not finding anything that could back up her mission objective, about not eliminating Clarke Griffin, about coming back to solve the problem.

“You did what?” Anya yelled at Lexa. “Are you insane? What is wrong with you? Do you want to get killed?”

“Listen to me please.”

“Why would I listen to an insane person?” Anya gritted her teeth. They were alone in the room but there were cameras everywhere.

“Just listen please.” Anya looked furious. “Maybe there was a mistake.”

“We don’t make mistakes and we don’t question orders.”

“But we have to back up the information we get and I couldn’t find anything. She wants to make the world a better place, she draws, she volunteers at a hospital, she did literally nothing to get flagged.”

“Do you hear what you’re saying?” Anya was furious. “Why did you interact with her? You really want to get yourself killed.”

“Do you hear what I’m saying? I followed her for a week and I saw nothing that would justify killing her.”

“It’s not your job to make that decision. You had a mission…”

“Can you just look up why was she flagged and if it was a mistake. If not I’ll go back and finish what I started and then face the consequences for breaking rules.”

“Since when do you hold human life in such high regard?”

“Anya.”

“Lexa. There was a reason, like every time before.”

“Then just look it up and send me back.”

“They will punish you for this.” Anya typed some things in the computer. “She’s a direct threat to the Agency.”

“But how?”

“Looks like she’s one of those freedom fighters. Human life matters. Murder can never be justified. She wants us terminated and Agency closed.”

“She wants to eliminate violence and war and poverty. Everything we stand for.”

“She’s a freedom fighter fighting against those who give her that same freedom, what more do you need. She’s a threat and she needs to be eliminated.”

“Anya, something's not right. I looked into her eyes and I saw kindness and pureness of heart. She wants the same thing we do.”

“Well Lexa, some people are not as trigger happy as you are. To some, life matters, and to some taking it is a breaking point. Some would rather have chaos than to have people killed to restore order.”

“Is she the first person to be flagged because of it?”

“Of course not, we get them daily.”

“Why is this the first time I got one?”

“Director thought you weren’t ready, considering your past and all that. It looks like he was right. You don’t mind taking the life of a murderer but a wolf in sheep's clothing is a big problem for you. Maybe I should assign someone else for this.”

“No. I can do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, just send me back.”, Lexa insisted.

* * *

 

When Lexa next opened her eyes she was back in the same alley as when she was sent to this mission. She walked back to the hotel where she previously booked a room, without knowing what exact time or day it was.

When she got there the receptionist greeted her and asked if she wanted the same room. Once inside she turned on the TV and saw it was two days after the incident with Clarke. She sat on the bed and put her head between her legs.

She had too much and not enough information. Her gut was telling her there was no reason to eliminate Clarke. People can change over time but the core values and believes stay with them. Clarke looked like someone who believed in the cause and wanted to make the world a better place. Maybe the Agency’s way wasn’t the most morally and ethically accepted one but disagreeing with Agency was not against rules.

She took out the _Telelocator._ It was meant to be used by agents to go back home and only back home. But, before he disappeared, Lincoln showed her how to make it to go anytime and anyplace in the history of time. She knew she was making a huge mistake by doing what she was about to do but she had to do it. She had to see what Clarke Griffin did or was doing that was so horribly wrong and deserving of death.

She went 25 years into the future, 5 years before the day Anya sent her to kill Clarke Griffin.

* * *

At that point in time Lexa was just about to start working for the Agency, but she was still far away from Polis, there was no way she’d meet herself.

It wasn’t hard to find freedom fighters, a name Anya gave them. They don’t have an official name, they are not an organization, they are just a group of people whose views on life are not aligned with those of the Agency.

It’s been ten years since Agency restored order and stability to the Polis and most of the world. Their ways were sometimes harsh and people were not always happy with what they did, but in 15 years they eradicated almost all crime and corruption in the world.

Freedom fighters usually gathered in a park in the center of Polis. They tried to get space in one of the buildings in the center of the city but the Agency denied them. Everyone knew where they were having their meetings, Lexa included, but no one ever approached them or did anything to stop them. That’s why Lexa was taken aback with the realization that Agency considered them enemies and made them targets.

When Lexa got to the park she saw a group of people sitting around one of the tables. They were talking loudly and laughing.To anyone watching they were just people having fun like countless other around them.

Couple of feet from them Lexa saw a blonde woman looking at something on her phone. She’d recognize Clarke Griffin anywhere and anytime.

“Hi.” Lexa said as she stood in front of the blonde.

“Hi?”, the woman responded, a bit confused but still with the same smile she greeted Lexa 25 years ago.

“Are you with the resistance?” Lexa didn’t know how or what to ask her, so she went the easiest route.

“Resistance.” Clarke laughed. “No one has called us that in a very long time.”

“I’m sorry, a friend told me about you and where you meet, I just assumed you are the resistance.”

“A friend?” Clarke looked intensely at her.

“Yes.” The woman sitting in front of Lexa had all the features young Clarke Griffin had. Except her eyes were not as soft and her smile was not as easy, but kindness and compassion she saw in the girl making her coffee was the same she saw in the tired looking woman sitting in front of her.

“Does this friend have a name?”

“Yes, but she asked me to…”

“Keep her out of it, right?” Clarke interrupted her. “You look like one of them.”

“One of them?” Lexa knew exactly what Clarke meant. She was dressed like agents were usually dressed. Black jeans, black shirt,, black sunglasses, black backpack.

“Yes. One of the robots working for the Agency.”

“I’m not..” Lexa tried.

“I don’t care if you are.” Clarke turned her attention back to her phone.

“Can I sit?”

“It’s a free world, isn’t it?” Clarke said without looking up.

Lexa sat on the other end of the bench and put the backpack between her legs.

“Why are you not sitting with the rest of them?” Lexa asked after a couple of awkward minutes of silence.

“I’m not in the mood to laugh.”

“Did something happen?” Lexa turned her head to Clarke.

“What do you want?”, Clarke sighed.

“Nothing.” Lexa blurted. “I just want to know more about your organization.”

“We are not an organization. We are a group of individuals who happen to have a common goal.”

“And what’s that?”

“Set the people free.”

“From what?”

“Tyranny. From the people who are controlling every aspect of our lives.”

“I think the world is a pretty nice place.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“You don’t think it is?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think it is?” Clarke looked at her for the first time since she sat on the bench, she was angry. Lexa swallowed thickly.

“There’s less sickness and poverty than ever in the history of mankind. There’s less crime and corruption. People are living better than ever before.”

“Except for the killed ones, but no one should care about them right. If they are dead then there must be a reason, right?”

“You’d rather have chaos from before than to punish people who deserve to be punished?”

“Who decides who needs to be punished? And who decides that said punishment has to be death?”

“People who know more than you and I.”

“So human lives are being taken in the name of blind trust?” Clarke shook her head, “There was a guy I knew. Ex addict. Did some bad things in his life, to himself and people around him. But he changed. Went to rehab, got clean, got married. An old friend knocks on his door one day, drug dealing friend, offers him to join him and some other people in some big scale drug operation. Selling, not using. He says no, he turned a new page in life, he’s not interested, they talk some more, the friend leaves. Next day my friend is gone. No one knows where he is. He went to bed with his wife and in the morning he was gone. We spent days trying to find him, we thought that friend of his had something to do with it but no. Eventually we go to public office and look him up and we find his death certificate from 10 years ago. Why did they kill him?” There was so much sadness, anger, desperation in Clarke’s eyes. Lexa didn’t know what to say. “And he is not the only one. There are so many cases of people disappearing with no reason. And even if there was a reason, if they thought they had a reason, there is nothing that justifies murdering someone in cold bold. There are other ways people can be brought to justice, there are other ways to make the world a better place, to establish order. Murder gives birth to more murder. Violence will never be and it never was a tool for doing good.”

“What would you do?”

“No one is born inherently good or bad, people become those things. If I had the tools they have I’d help people when they are at the turning point in their lives. There’s so many different ways they could have accomplished what they did without killing people.”

“So you want to destroy them?”

“No. We just want them to stop killing people.” Clarke was now looking at her with a new softness in her eyes. “Why did you join them? You don’t look like a typical agent?”

“I’m not…”

“You don’t have to pretend. I’ve seen a lot of yous in my life and you are not a great actor.” Clarke smiled.

“I wanted to make the world better place to live.” Lexa looked at the group of people sitting at the table couple of feet from them.

“And now tell me the real reason.”

“Why can’t I be a fighter for good and better and happiness like you are?”

“You can.” Clarke laughed. “You probably are. Like I said, you don’t look like a typical agent. But that reason is not really convincing one.”

“My girlfriend was killed.”

“I’m sorry. Murder?”

“No. We were in a car and a drunk guy driving a truck behind us pushed us off the road.” Lexa chuckled. “Funny thing is, it hasn’t even happened yet. She’s still alive, now. Next friday she’ll be dead.”

“You ever think about stopping it?”

“I should go.”

“Running away.”

“Or running to.” Lexa stood up and smiled. “It was nice meeting you Clarke.”, she said before walking away.

“Wait! How do you know my name?”, she heard Clarke yell after her.

* * *

Lexa was one of the best agents for a reason. She always did her job no matter what it was. She did it clean and fast. She did it because she knew she was doing what was best for everyone. She was saving the world. Until Clarke Griffin came along. A glitch.

Lexa was starting to question her orders. An order.

Was she really saving a world or was she just helping a group of people to emerge as the most powerful entity in the history of mankind?

“Hi. What can I get you?” Lexa looked up and saw a counter and Clarke standing behind it. “Are you okay?” Clarke asked with a worry all over her face.

Lexa unconsciously walked into the only place she was supposed to avoid.

“Umm I am.”, she cleared her throat. “Double espresso. To stay..”, she said with a half smile.

“Coming right up.” Clarke turned around and started to make coffee.

Lexa’s heart was beating fast, too fast. She closed her eyes trying to calm down. It was all in the breathing. In and out. In and out. She was supposed to kill the girl making her coffee. In and out.

“Are you sure you are okay?”, Clarke asked again.

Lexa opened her eyes to see coffee and two cookies on the counter in front of her.

“Yes. Thank you.”, she said faking a smile.

“Okay. Here’s your coffee. Cookies are on the house.”, Clarke smiled and pushed a cup and a plate with cookies to Lexa.

“Thank you.” Lexa walked to the nearest table and sat down. She was the only person there, other than Clarke. It was early in the morning, couple of days after their first contact. Clarke looked like nothing happened, which was expected because the only thing she remembered from that day was a severe headache she woke up with. She was drawing something seemingly  without a care in the world.

For the second time in her life Lexa felt lost, without a clear destination, without an end in sight, without a solution. She technically had a destination, an end and a solution, a job. But her thoughts were fuzzy and her head was hurting and she didn’t really have any of those things.

She drank the rest of her coffee and got up to get more.

“Can I have another one?”

“Of course.”, Clarke smiled.

“Are you an artist?”, Lexa yelled over the noise the machine was making.

“A hobbyist.”, Clarke yelled back.

“This is really nice.”, Lexa said looking at the piece of paper Clarke was drawing on.

“It’s not bad.” Clarke put the cup in front of Lexa.

“Why not make a career out of it?”

“I’m busy.”, Clarke smiled.

“Making career out of coffee making?”, Lexa teased. It was so easy to forget about everything when Clarke was smiling at her like that.

“And what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, it just a shame you are wasting your talent.”

“After I achieve world peace, I will become a full time artist.”, Clarke grinned.

“And you will do that by making coffee?”

“It is life changing, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“My coffee.”

“It sure is.”, Lexa laughed knowing how true those words were.

Someone opened the front door and soon after the place was full with college students waiting to order their coffee. Lexa went back to her table and quietly drank her coffee while watching Clarke work her way through the next couple of hours. It was a busy day, maybe the busiest since Lexa came there, but nevertheless Clarke had time to look in her direction more times than she would probably admit.

“Busy day.” The place was empty once again, so Lexa thought it was a good time to get another coffee.

“Shit. You scared me. Why are you sneaking around?”, Clarke jumped back a little.

“Sorry.”, Lexa laughed.

“Another one?”

“Yes please. Make this one for to go.”, Lexa handed her an empty cup. “This is an interesting set of faces you have here.” Lexa saw a piece of paper with a dozen or so different faces Clarke drew.

“I like faces.”

“These are some of the customers, right?”

“I see I’m not the only one who likes faces.”

“Comes with the job but I’m not nearly as talented when it comes to drawing them.”

“Is there something specific you want to accomplish with all these compliments?”, Clarke smirked.

“I’m trying not to get offended by the fact that my face is not among all those faces.”, Lexa pointed to the drawings.

“Your face is just too attractive to share the space with all these average looking faces.”

“Look at you, and I was supposed to be the sneaky one.”

“I’m just being honest.”

“Thanks for the coffee.”, Lexa smiled.

“My pleasure.”

“See you around.”, she said before leaving.

She spent the rest of the day drinking Clarke’s coffee and she went to bed thinking another day of breaking rules would not make any difference to the real world.

* * *

“You’re back.”, Clarke said when she saw Lexa walk in.

“You’re surprised.”

“Shocked.”

“Why?”, Lexa sat on the stool across Clarke.

“I never had much luck. It looks like that might be changing.”

“You never know.” Lexa tried to smile but doing so was hard, knowing who she was and who Clarke was.

“Double espresso, right?”, Clarke asked and Lexa just nodded. “In a minute, I have something for you.”

“For me?”, Lexa was genuinely surprised.

“Yes.”, Clarke reached below the counter and gave Lexa a piece of folded paper. “Like I said, too attractive.”

It was a drawing of Lexa’s face.

“It’s…”

“Amazing, I know.”

“When did you do this?”, Lexa looked at Clarke.

“Yesterday when you left.”

“It’s amazing.”, Lexa didn’t know what to say.

“I’m Clarke.”, Lexa saw a hand hanging over the counter.

“Lexa.”, she said as Clarke wrapped her fingers around her hand.

“Nice to meet you Lexa.”

“Likewise.”

“You know, you won’t get your coffee if you don’t let go of my hand.”, Lexa immediately dropped it, she wasn’t even aware she was still holding Clarke’s hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, please.”, Clarke smiled.

* * *

“You are starting to spend a lot of time in here. People might start to talk.”

“Hello to you too Clarke.”

“Every face has a prominent feature. Do you know what yours is?”, Clarke leaned on the counter.

“You tell me.”

“You eyes.”

“Are pretty average looking.”

“Oh Lexa, I am yet to find one average looking thing on you.”

“Flattery will get you far, Clarke.”

* * *

“Do you have a job?”

“Hi Clarke.”

“Hello Lexa. Do you have a job?”

“Why do you ask?”

“This is the third day in a row that you are here.”

“I have flexible hours.”

“What do you do and how can I do the same?”

“I’m doing the most important thing in the world.”

“And that is?”

“Surviving.”

Clarke started to laugh.

“You are funny.”

“What’s funny about that?”

“Surviving is not the most important thing in the world.”

“And what is?”

“Literally everything else. It must be a boring life if you are living just to survive.”, Clarke said over the noise coffee machine was starting to make.

“You are not scared of dying?”, Lexa asked when Clarke put a cup in front of her.

“Everyone is scared of dying, but I think there’s no point in living in fear. Anything can happen at any time, why worry about things you can’t control when there are other things you can.”

Lexa sipped her coffee, thinking about what Clarke had just told her, about not having control over death, when Lexa was the one holding Clarke’s life in her hands. She had been delaying what had to been done for three days. Each day she went to bed convincing herself she would do what had to be done the next day, knowing she wasn’t ready and not knowing if she was ever going to be ready. And spending time with Clarke made the decision even harder. Getting to know Clarke made the decision impossible.

“Go on a date with me.”

“What?”

“Go on a date with me.”

“Uhhh…”

“Please.”, Clarke had her lower lip between her teeth and hope in her eyes.

“I can’t.”, she really couldn’t. Maybe if she said it loud enough she would convince herself.

“Why? Are you not… Did I… Why not?”

“It’s complicated.”, it really was.

“You don’t want?”

“No.”, Lexa quickly replied. “I…”

“One date. Please.”, Clarke smiled.

“Okay.”, Lexa said, knowing it was probably the biggest mistake of her life and not caring about it at all.

* * *

Lexa spent the entire date day thinking about not showing up. With every passing minute she saw how bad idea that was. Anya was impatient and the more time Lexa spent with Clarke the closer Anya was getting to sending another agent to do Lexa’s job for her. Even if she wasn’t going to kill Clarke, her life was still in danger and even though Lexa was not actively doing anything, doing nothing was bringing more harm than she was ready to admit.

But the hour came and she was there, waiting for Clarke.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”, Lexa turned around and saw Clarke, looking better than ever.

“It’s alright.”

“Let’s go, movie is about to start.”

It was a movie date. Clarke suggested and Lexa felt like having an out of body experience so she just nodded.

First half of the movie she spent thinking about standing up and leaving. Then she felt Clarke’s hand on her own and spent the rest of the movie wishing it never ended.

But eventually it did end. When Clarke moved her hand away, Lexa almost asked if she could put it back.

“There’s no reason for you to be this nervous.” They were in front of Clarke’s building. After the movie ended they got ice cream and walked to where they were in silence.

“Maybe.”, Lexa sighed.

“I’ll tell you a secret.”, Clarke stepped closer.

“What?”, Lexa felt her whole body beating louder with every second Clarke spent that close to her.

“I really like you.”, the blonde whispered.

Lexa blushed. It felt like being born again.

“I like you too.”, she whispered back.

“I know.”, Clarke grinned. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Lexa closed her eyes and for the first time, in a very long time, felt alive.

* * *

“You are a great kisser.”

“I know.”, Lexa smiled into a kiss.

They were cuddled up in Clarke’s bed, four days after their first date, four days Lexa spent thinking about a solution, before finding one last night.

There was only one way to save Clarke and make sure she never got in danger again.

Lexa came up with a plan, one that would ensure Clarke’s safety, but not her own. It was irrelevant at this point and if she was to die then it might as well be by saving someone who deserved to be saved.

“You smell great.” Clarke buried her head in Lexa’s neck.

There was one thing Lexa had to do before saving Clarke. She had to make sure Clarke never suffered if things were to go bad for Lexa. She had to take away all the memories Clarke made in the last week.

“Not as great as you.” Lexa kissed the top of Clarke’s head and reached to grab the device that would erase her from Clarke’s life. “I’m sorry.”, she whispered before sticking Clarke with it.

Lexa got out of the bed, cleaned all the traces of her in Clarke’s apartment and left.

* * *

She had one more thing to do before changing the course of history.

“It’s you.”, Clarke closed the book she was reading. “Back to catch up?”, she smiled. “How does it work?”

Lexa went back to the future, 25 years into it, back to freedom fighters, back to Clarke. She found her sitting on the same bench as before.

“How does what work?”, Lexa sat next to her.

“You being here.”, Clarke turned sideways to face Lexa.

“There’s a device.”, Clarke was still as beautiful as ever.

“A device? That means I could use it too?”

“No.”, Lexa shook her head. “I have a chip in my head that allows me to do it.”

“How can I get one?”

“Why would you want one?”

“It would be nice to go back and fix some things.”

“Unfortunately you’d have to become an agent to get one.”

“How come you never went back to save your girlfriend?”

“Because it wasn’t intentional, or planned, and we can’t do anything in such cases. It was the first time he got drunk, and last. That’s why I joined the Agency. To try and prevent other people from suffering, to try and save one person from the pain I felt.”

“You never went back to see her one last time?”

“No. I never wanted that and even if I did there are rules, we can’t just go wherever we want. Just where they send us.”

“That means they sent you here?”

Lexa quickly shook her head, she saw Clarke wasn’t smiling anymore.

“You don’t have to be scared. I’m not here to kill you.”

“That’s… good?”

“Maybe.”

“Why are you here then?” Clarke furrowed her brows.

“To get to know you better.”, Lexa smiled.

“I’m confused.”

“This is not the first time we meet Clarke.”

“What?”, Clarke leaned back a bit, looking scared.

“You don’t have to worry about anything, nothing will happen to you. You are safe.”

“That’s not very comforting.”

“Trust me.”, Lexa offered her a soft smile.

“Trust? You are a time travelling contract killer and you just said to me that you don’t travel through time unless it’s for a job.”

“There was a time when you trusted me.”

“I’m pretty sure there wasn’t because yesterday was the first time I met you.”

“You don’t remember it, but I do. It was the best week of my life.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m here to apologize. I’m sorry I took that away from you but it was necessary. The only way to save you is if you don’t remember me because I don’t know what will happen when I do what I’m about to do and I couldn’t live my life thinking you could spend yours looking for me if it goes wrong.”

Clarke opened her mouth to say something but ended up just staring at Lexa.

“I know none of this makes any sense to you. I just had to apologize and this was the only safe way.”, Lexa said. “I hope I see you again Clarke, I really do.” She got up and left.

* * *

For Agency to able to correct history, they first had to find a way to travel through time. They spent over 20 years researching and experimenting until they finally succeeded. Lexa knew the exact day and place.

Day because it was celebrated as a holiday, and place because the Agency kept all their research and findings in the same place since the beginning of their existence.

Getting inside was easy. It was sunday and other than a couple of guards roaming outside, there was no one there. It was a big building with research departments below and offices above ground.

The Agency was versatile with the things they were developing. There was an entire floor devoted for military equipment. Guns, rifles and explosives. Lexa filled her bag with what she thought to be enough explosives to blow the entire building to the ground.

She made her way from the lowest to highest floor, carefully planting explosives on strategic places and starting the timer on each floor.

Clarke Griffin. A glitch.

She knew she didn’t have much time before it all blew up.

Clarke Griffin. World peace maker.

She hurried outside, running as far as she could. She had one more place to go to before not being able to go anywhere. She reached in her pocket and took out _Telelocator._ She pushed the button one last time.

* * *

When Lexa opened her eyes she could only hear loud thumping. She tried to open her eyes but her head was hurting too much and her heart was beating too fast.

In and out. In and out.

She opened her eyes and saw a fan spinning on the ceiling. She felt warm sheets underneath her. She realized she was laying on the bed. She sat up and looked around. She recognized her hotel room.

Lexa tried to get up but her legs were heavy and her head dizzy. She looked around the room but couldn’t see any of her stuff.

She fell back on the bed and asleep.

* * *

Lexa felt much better the next time she woke up. She turned on TV and saw it was the same day as when she left. Lexa let out a relieved breath, she got out in time.

“Clarke.”, she whispered to the empty room. She had to go and see if her plan worked. If everything worked out.

It was strange feeling to walk down the street having just probably changed the world without anyone knowing because it never happened. Lexa wondered what the world would look like in 30 years if the Agency was really gone, if it never existed, was it for better or for worse.

Then she opened the door of the coffee shop and saw the only thing that really mattered.

Clarke Griffin smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at ordinarklo.tumblr.com


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